Mighty Men

Temple Baptist Church - 6-21-2015

2 Samuel 23:8-39

 

Introduction:

 

A.  This morning, I want to recognize all of the men of the church, both fathers and those who have no children.  I do this for a reason.  Though you may not be a biological father this morning, all of you men are “fathers” to those who have children and “grandfathers” to their children.  I cannon over emphasize the importance and need for good men!  We have a great bunch of men here at Temple Baptist Church.

 

B.  Along with 29 Mother’s Day message, I have preached (including this morning) 29 Father’s

Day messages.  There is just so much that you can preach on one subject without repeating some things but the men I preached to 28 years ago are not grandparents and we have a younger set of fathers.

 

C.  I want to look at the importance of children having men (and I am talking about real men) in their lives.  These staggering statistics came from the AFA:

 

1.  24 million children in the USA live in a fatherless home.

 

2.  40% of students in grades 1-12 come from homes with no biological father in them.

 

3.  71% of teenage pregnant mothers have no father in the home.

 

4.  71% of high school drop outs have no father present.

 

5.  A child is 4 times more likely to live in poverty if there is no father in the home.

 

D.  I chose our text for the Father’s Day from my daily Bible reading.  It is of the utmost importance that we make God’s Word a part of our daily life.  2 Samuel 23 begins with the words “Now these be the last words of David.”

 

1.  The words, penned by the Holy Ghost, spoke of men ruling in righteousness and David did so.

 

2.  The words found here also show the caliber of men that David surrounded himself with.  It is an amazing account of some mighty men.

 

3.  This morning, I want to take a short look at the men who were close to David, his mighty men.

 

E.  These men never cease to amaze me as I read the accounts of some and their greatness in war.  Though we are not required to fight in hand-to-hand combat as these were, we need to have the same characteristics that real men have always had down through the centuries.  We live in days of weak men and strong women as men become softer and women become tougher.  My God give us some of these same mighty men.

 

1.  In verse 8, Adino slew 800 men at one time!

 

2.  In verses 9-10, Dodo the Ahohite, after the rest of the army had retired or reteated from the field, smote the enemy until his “hand was weary … his hand clave unto the sword” with the army returning after him “only to spoil!”

 

3.  In verse 11, Shammah stood in a field of lintiles (a pea patch) after the Israeli army fled and defended it—slew the Philistines—and was used of God to wrought a great victory.

 

4.  In verses 13-17, three mighty men placed their lives in jeopardy when they broke through the Philistine lines and drew water because their leader longed for a drink from the well of Bethlehem!

 

5.  In verse 18, Abishai, slew 300 with his spear!

 

6.  In verse 20, Benaiah slew two lionlike men of Moab and also slew a lion in the midst of a pit in a time of snow!  (He did a hard thing in a hard place at a hard time.)  He also slew a great Egyptian soldier with his own spear.

 

7.  Not much said about the remaining 20+ because it would almost be repetitive. 

 

F.  I want to quickly give you a few characteristics of these might men and we, as men, need.

 

1.  These Might men were men of Faith.  They often stood and fought when the army fled!  God was their Stay.  They knew what was right and were determined to die for it.  Some things are worth dying for.

 

2.  These Mighty Men were Faithful.  They stood around God’s man and would allow none to approach him without going through them first.  In my pastorate, I have had people stick the proverbial “knife in the back.”  David said that his own familiar friend had turned his back on him.

 

3.  These Mighty Men knew how to Fight.  They were “mighty men,” not just warriors.  They “left everything on the field” when they went to battle.  When the going gets tough, the tough still get going.  Police officers often say, “I don’t know how many of us that it will take but I do know how many we will bring.”

 

4.  These Mighty Men knew how to be Fearless.  It was not that they were fearless for few men are but they knew how to control their fears and fight in spite of them. They were not “super heroes,” they were MEN!

 

5.  These Mighty Men knew how of Follow.  They were at the beck and call of their leader.  To the point of overhearing his desire for water from the Well of Bethlehem and obtaining it.  They loved God, Israel, David, and each other.  Truly a “Band of Brothers.”

 

7.  These Mighty Men were men of Fame!  They stood head and shoulders above average men and were men of renown.  Israel was known and still is known for having a great military.  Their army was feared by every nation around them.  These “mighty men” were the “special forces” of the day.  Everyone knew them by name.

 

8.  These Mighty Men knew how to be Fathers.  They set an example for not only their children but for the children of other warriors.  They were role models!  Their children were able to look up to them as men: the boy’s idols and the girl’s heroes.